


Ring Around the Rogers

by itshysterekal



Series: Meet Me in Limbo [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Grief, Happy Ending, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Quests, Spoilers, Suicidal Ideation, Tags May Change, eventual stucky - Freeform, implied/not confirmed non-con(past), stucky-unestablished
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2019-04-29 20:37:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14480736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itshysterekal/pseuds/itshysterekal
Summary: THIS IS A POST-INFINITY WAR FIC AND CONTAINS ALL THE SPOILERS (once you click through; summary and tags are clean)Fix-it AU (part one of three) which picks up immediately at the end of the film. Eventual stucky, no permadeath.





	1. The Frozen Lake

**Author's Note:**

> In a /sort-of/ way, i used Dante's Divine Comedy as an outline and would like to make sure i give credit there. I'd also like to throw some credit to the stucky discord i just joined for all the sprints because i can churn out an (apparently) obscene amount of words in a short time, but my big issue is always distraction and motivation. Those timers are saving my life.
> 
> Finally, chapter one is not my best work. Please try to hang around for chapter two because i think that'll be a better metric for whether or not you'll want to stick around. And try not to think about Dante too much.

_Oh, god…_

Steve felt his lungs fill with icy water as he sank to the ground beside Vision’s corpse. A few feet away, his best friend’s ashes littered the ground where he’d fallen from the supersoldier a second time. This time, there was no bringing him back. The ashy film on his fingertips more than proved that. He was vaguely aware of others around him, but for the first time in a long time, there wasn’t a single part of Steve that could convince himself things would be okay. 

Wiping his hand furiously on his thigh, he could still feel the ashes, the death, on his digits. A light smear appeared on the fabric and it became even harder to breathe. He stumbled to his feet, heading for a clearing, and no one stopped him. After losing everyone he had ever known, he had Bucky back for all of five minutes. He could still feel their brief hug before the battle, heavier on his right side where Bucky’s metal arm had gripped just a little too tight. Had the brunet known they would never hug again? It hadn’t even occurred to Steve, with his never-ending supply of optimism. 

His head was throbbing from where Thanos had knocked him out. It was healing quickly, but not quickly enough. Dizzy with the pain of it, Steve finally collapsed near the edge of the trees and felt tears rip out of him in a way they never really had. His grief had always been contained before, not this loud, incapacitating affairs. Even when his mother passed, he’d been able to stand. He stood hunched in like a wounded animal, but he was at least on his feet. No, this was a different loss. This loss was more than just Bucky. It was everything. It was the loss of his heart, his hope, his belief in good triumphing over evil. If there was a moral arc to the universe, it could not possibly be bent toward justice. Not if one man could eliminate half the life in all of existence in a few moments simply because he believed he should. 

Steve jerked violently as a hand touched his shoulder. “Captain Rogers.” 

He didn’t even bother to wipe his face as he looked up at the face of one of King T’Challa’s guard. Her eyes were shiny with unshed tears and he wondered if it was because she was stronger than him or if she simply had not lost enough. “It’s Okoye, isn’t it?” 

With a nod, she joined him on the ground, sitting cross-legged beside him. She stared into the distance instead of at him, which he appreciated more than he could say. “Do you know, I was sure that I would lay down my life in this battle. For my country, I would do anything. I made a vow to protect my king at all costs, and I have broken it. There was nothing I could do, but it is broken all the same.” 

Steve sniffled and hugged his knees to his chest. “If you did everything in your power…”

“I do not tell you this because I desire reassurances, Captain. I merely wanted you to know that you are not alone in your grief.” 

“I should have hugged him longer,” Steve strangled out. “I should have told him…”

“What?” she asked. “Should have’s are a waste of energy. Whatever you want him to know, he knows.” 

Steve swallowed thickly and nodded. He looked at her, the hard line of her mouth like if she let it open too easily, something intolerable might escape. Still, she looked like she wasn’t finished fighting, and Steve wanted to feel it too. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t… have anything left.” 

She turned and met his gaze with one that said she could see through his bullshit and wasn’t going to tolerate it. “I do have an understanding of your situation, Captain, but I cannot agree with your conclusion. While the losses we have endured this day are devastating, we have much left to do. Thanos must be stopped.” She was looking away from him again, using her eyes to paint the landscape with her plan. “The power he has cannot be allowed to continue. There is nothing to stop him from doing this again and again, and we do not know if he will ever die. He could kill more tomorrow, in a hundred years, or right now. He must be found and he must be stopped. Plus I would very much like to repay him the favor he has paid my king.” 

Steve half-smiled. “Yeah,” he agreed, though it was clear when she said favor she meant the other thing. There were a number of responses on the tip of his tongue, but none of them were things he could say to her. He wanted to know why it had to be them to stop Thanos, why someone else couldn’t pick up his shield or her spear for a time, if the war ever seemed to end. Steve went out during one war and woke up in another, so it seemed like maybe life was just doomed to wonder how brief their periods of peace would be. He wondered, if they stopped Thanos, if they saved the day, if he had to stick around after. Steve wanted just one thing to go right and stay right without something else coming along and ruining it. He couldn’t help but think of Bucky’s sarcastic greeting, his smile, and then calling Steve’s name in worry just before he _ceased to exist_ and Steve managed to make a sob sound like a cough. 

Okoye was not fooled. “If you are not going to help me, please. Tell me now so that I can stop wasting my time trying to comfort you.” 

“Is that a joke?” he asked, not certain he wanted the answer. 

“Mostly,” she said, with a muted grin. 

He laughed a little, even if it was shallow and he didn’t completely feel it. “What else am I gonna do?” he asked. Though he intended it to be an answer, it came out like a genuine question. 

“Well, you could always sit on the ground and cry until you starve to death,” she suggested, and this time he felt the little chuckle he let out. “Good. We are going to need all the help we can get and if you can laugh about it, then you think it’s a joke and were not planning to do it.” 

“Right,” he agreed, trying not to admit to himself that he might have been inadvertently planning that by not having any plans at all except to drown in the frozen lake of his grief. He couldn’t do that, even if a treacherous voice in the back of his head wouldn’t stop asking _why the hell not? Hadn’t he earned it? Hadn’t he done enough?_

“You would not believe how hard it is to get out of that armor when it’s broken,” he heard Bruce’s voice saying behind them, underscored by careless trampling of foliage. “Are we making plans, because I think it’s only fair to warn you that Hulk and I are having a bit of a disagreement, so it might just be Bruce for a while…”

“Is that what we are doing, Captain Rogers?” Okoye asked, and he took it for the sub textual question it was. 

“Yeah, we’re making plans,” he agreed firmly. The universe needed saving and it was their imperative to make sure it happened. “Though you haven’t missed much yet, pal. We’ve really only got the title page right now.” 

“Good, then nothing needs to be rewritten.” 

“Yeah,” Steve agreed distantly. Rewritten. Like Thanos reversing time to get the stone from Vision’s head. He wondered how large the stone’s sphere of influence could be, how far back it could go. If it took them a year to take down Thanos, could they rewind far enough to save Bucky? Even if they could, what was to stop Thanos from getting the stone all over again and forcing Steve to lose the man a third time? 

“So step one, at least for me, we’ve got to get the Hulkbuster armor repaired. Tony is god knows where, so he’s probably out of the question. I can do a bit, but some of that design is just all Tony.” 

“What about Thor?” Steve asked. 

“Yeah, I don’t really think Thor is going to be great at mecha-“

“I meant to find Tony,” Steve interrupted. “The rainbow bridge could get us to Tony, right?” 

“Assuming Tony is even still alive, I have no idea where he is, Steve.” 

“I am sorry,” Okoye interrupted, “but I am going to need someone to explain this colorful bridge to me before we can continue.” 

“Do you know what an Einstein-Rosen bridge is?” Bruce began and Steve sighed. 

“I’m sure you have a Wakandan name for it, but essentially it allows travel over vast distances,” he interrupted before glancing at Bruce. “Sorry, but we’re going with the short version. Once we have a plan, you can all feel free to talk about the science that I’m a few degrees short of understanding.” 

“It’s really not that-“

“Bruce, we’ve got a title and an intro, but no outline. How do we find Tony?” 

“Heimdall,” Bruce replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “He operates the bridge and can apparently see everywhere in the universe.” 

“It is times like these that I find myself thinking Wakanda should have never opened its borders. Life would be much simpler.” 

“Unfortunately, doors are much easier to open than to close,” Steve replied. “You can’t unring a bell.” 

“Ah, but it is not impossible to cancel out the vibrations of that ringing. I will find your Asgardian friend. Dr. Banner, I trust you will keep the Captain in good spirits in the absence of my own expertise?” 

“I’m right here,” Steve pointed out. He probably needed babysitting, but it wasn’t fair of them to point it out. “I can hear you.” 

“Yes, both of those things are true,” she replied with an amused smirk. He envied the easy way she seemed to be taking it all in stride. Without another word, she turned and left to find Thor. 

His jealousy of her strength must have shown on his face because Bruce gave him an awkward pat on the knee before launching into distraction tactics. “I’m worried about the big guy,” he admitted. “He… refuses to come out. Literally refuses. Starts to and fights it.” 

Steve gave him a sharp look. “Any idea why?” 

“If I had any idea, we wouldn’t be having a conversation.” 

Steve frowned. “I don’t know how many more allies we can afford to lose…”

Bruce sighed. “Well, I’m not exactly strong without the suit, but I’m not entirely useless, you know.” 

“I know,” Steve replied and then, more quietly, “I’m sorry. It’s just… not a good day.” 

“I’d say that’s about the understatement of the century,” Bruce replied with a humorless laugh. “Seriously, Steve. Are you up to this?” 

“Honestly? I’m not sure. I’m sure as hell trying to be.” 

“Language, Cap!” 

Steve didn’t even crack a smile. “Let’s find Okoye and Thor,” he said instead. Sitting still was only going to make it harder to do what needed to be done. He had to move to keep himself from thinking. There was still a mission. He still had a reason to keep going. 

Though Steve had a feeling his companion had reservations about his current state of mind, Bruce was thankfully silent on the matter as they walked. The trees seemed to press in on them as though to keep them out or at least obscure the place they were trying to get to. If he hadn’t seen the ashes, he would have thought they were in the wrong clearing. Vision’s body was nowhere to be found and neither were their allies. It wasn’t that Steve recognized the clearing, which he did. Steve was never going to get this exact configuration of flora out of his mind, with Bucky in the foreground just… No, Steve recognized the ashes. It was fundamentally wrong that he could tell a pile of ash from another, but he could. 

“Maybe we missed the-“

“No, it was here,” he said, still staring at the ashes. Suddenly the feeling on his fingertips intensified and he rubbed them against his sleeve as though it could scrub the guilty substance from them. He finally looked up at Bruce, gaze stricken. “Why did it have to be him?” 

He expected to hear something logical about fifty/fifty chances, but apparently Steve looked as wrecked as he felt because Bruce offered no reason. “It’s never going to make sense,” Bruce replied somberly. “It’s not fair and this whole situation is just… We’re here, Steve. I know we’re not exactly close, but whatever you need. Just ask.” 

Steve swallowed and looked up as if to keep the tears in his eyes through gravity and sheer force of will. “I need a goddamn vacation,” he quipped, though it sounded wet and gravelly. He drew in a breath and straightened his spine. “They probably took Vision to Shuri. We should head for the center.” 

“Steve, maybe you should take a minute.” 

“And what?” Steve demanded, latching on to the comfort rise of anger. “Scrape the ashes of my best friend out of the dirt in the hopes that he can be rebuilt? Again? When we were kids, I was always getting him in fights. I got him killed during the war, and then HYDRA got their hands on him, gouged out everything that was Bucky and filled him with assassin and bullshit and now, when he’s finally okay again… Was. Was okay again… “ Steve shook his head as the fury seeped out, leaving desolation in its wake. “All a minute’s gonna do is give Thanos a bigger head start, pal.” 

“Okay.” 

The look on Bruce’s face said it wasn’t okay, but at least he’d accepted that there was nothing he could do except allow Steve to pretend everything was fine, that it wasn’t happening. That was how it had to be otherwise Steve would cease to be Steve. When his mother passed, he’d done a great job of being Steve. It had taken everything he had and it even fooled Bucky. He could remember telling his friend that he was fine, that the funeral was nice, that she was with his dad. He said all the things you’re supposed to say to indicate that you believe there’s a silver lining to being stabbed in the gut by a determined digger with a blunt shovel. That way no one has to feel awkward and you can fool yourself into believing going on won’t be the hardest thing you’ll ever do. He’d done it so well that Bucky had believed him, leaving Steve to cry silent and alone in the empty house that night, until his eyes were so swollen he could barely see and his head pounded so hard he couldn’t stand. 

It was the day after, when Bucky came by with a sandwich from his own mother that his best friend truly understood who Steve was when he wasn’t Steve. Bucky had never willingly left him alone again. Not when Steve could lose himself. There was suddenly an abundance of excuses for Steve to visit the Barnes house or go everywhere with his friend. Bucky didn’t even go on dates without Steve to the point where Steve felt like he was Bucky’s date more than any of the women he went out with. 

Pushing the memories away viciously, Steve headed for the building they’d failed to protect. As they’d thought, the others had brought Vision there. Steve scanned the small collection of their friends. Okoye had found Thor, but Shuri was nowhere to be seen. The third, Natasha, had some kind of silent exchange with Bruce before suddenly she was dragging Steve out of the room where the others wouldn’t hear whatever he was about to. 

“We think Thanos scattered some of the people he left alive,” she confided, and he was immeasurably relieved that she didn’t question his fitness or what she could do to help him feel better. Apparently Nat knew him too well, which was to say he wasn’t going to feel better, or that feeling better meant not feeling at all because he was never going to feel good again, it seemed like. “First thing we want to do is find Shuri and get her back here to fix Vision. Once that’s done, Bruce stays to protect them while we track down-“

“That would be great if Bruce had help, but apparently Hulk ain’t having it.” 

“Shit,” she said, not asking him to repeat or explain. He gave her the shortest possible version of their plan to find Tony and she nodded, all business and no hint of the despair they all had to be feeling. “Yeah, problem with that- We don’t have an all-seeing Asgardian anymore. Thor got here on his own power.” 

Steve let out a lungful of air and smashed his hand down his mouth as he tried to rethink everything they’d talked about before it became impossible. “Okay, uh… Tony’s suits all have tracking stuff, right? Bruce can maybe figure something out so we can…”

Steve trailed off as Natasha shook her head, eyes gazing unseeing for a moment as she thought through their options. “Finding Tony is definitely a priority, but we need to prioritize people we can find quickly. The sooner we build up our numbers, the better. Besides, Bruce is pretty smart. We have plenty of brawn. Some brains wouldn’t hurt.” 

“Alright. So we’re back to the original plan of finding Shuri.” 

“Okoye should be able to track her as soon as we get the system back up. A lot of the Wakandans are injured or… But Okoye found a couple scientists who can repair the damage. Once it’s up and running, we find Shuri, she fixes Vision, hopefully… I mean, theoretically it might be possible.” 

“That’s the best news I’ve heard,” Steve acknowledged. They were in the shit, and he was going to cling to any hope they had. “Thor can control the rainbow bridge?” 

“Seems like,” she confirmed. “He did once, at least. I haven’t talked to him yet. He’s kind of… broody.” 

“Broody should be familiar ground for you, Nat,” he teased. 

“Very funny. Thor’s kind of a grey area for me. I still haven’t wrapped my head around how that Asgardian brain works. Annoying, since I pride myself on my ability to manipulate others.” 

Steve snorted. “Yeah, you’re a master.” 

“You’re smiling, aren’t you?” she pointed out very seriously. 

“That’s for your benefit.” 

“Good, go use it for Thor’s benefit. I need to talk to Bruce.” 

“See if you can reason with Hulk too while we’re at it.” 

She gave him a wry smile and they returned to the rest of the group. Thor was, true to Natasha’s word, brooding. Far from the grin of triumph that had been plastered on his face when he’d managed to wound Thanos, he now reeked of exhaustion and defeat. Steve crossed the room and leaned against the wall next to him. “So I hear you can control the rainbow bridge now.” 

“I have a mighty new weapon,” Thor confirmed. “Though it would seem that might is no match for a man who can control time itself.” 

“Maybe not, but we knew going in this was a hard road. With more of us, we should manage to stop him next time. Now that we know what we’re up against, we can better prepare for the fight.” 

“Perhaps,” Thor agreed, though Steve sensed a caveat coming. “I believe I have a better plan, though it will be dangerous.” 

Steve wondered why Thor felt the need to label something dangerous since all they ever did was dangerous. It was the most basic assumption that anything they did had a baseline of danger. “More than usual?” 

“There is a place in the very roots of Yggdrasil with beings who may be able to help. They serve higher beings, and therefore may not wish to aid in our struggle. However, I believe their insight may be the surest way to achieve victory. The knowledge we could obtain would be invaluable.” 

“Higher than a god?” Steve worried aloud. If Thor was worried about whoever these beings served, they must be terrifying. “I don’t suppose we could enlist their masters’ help against Thanos?” 

Thor shook his head. “We are merely amusements for Those Who Sit Above In Shadow. Even something as catastrophic as these events are but a passing moment for them. We are insignificant specks to them, unworthy of their efforts.” 

Steve couldn’t suppress a shiver of dread at the ominous title. “Why exactly are these folks the ones you think we should see?” 

“Captain, we are at war with a being who can alter the very fabric of reality. Our only chance is seek council with beings of similar power.” 

Steve nodded, not liking that there were apparently multiple creatures in the universe who could, on a whim, rewrite them all like a bad dime novel. For god’s sake, he was just a kid from Brooklyn. How did he get to a place where he was rubbing elbows with gods and the almighty? He belonged in a run-down apartment thawing bags of peas on his jaw while Bucky lectured him on backing down. Maybe if he’d gotten enough of those talkings-to, he wouldn’t agree now to stand up and fight yet another impossible battle. 

“Let’s do it, then.” 

“I am of the mind that we should leave Romanoff and Banner.” 

“To look after Vision,” Steve agreed. 

“I was referring to the fact that they are fragile humans. Banner has been having difficulties with his other half.” Steve frowned, torn between thinking that he was also a fragile human and that Thor was doing their friends a disservice by labeling them as such. “You disagree?” 

Steve sighed. “Not completely. This situation is just…”

Thor placed a heavy hand on Steve’s shoulder and it was the weight of incoming words of sympathy. “When Thanos’ forces attacked Asgard, they killed everyone on board. I fear that Loki will finally fail to resurrect. I too have watched a brother die in this fight, Rogers.” 

Steve swallowed thickly. Brother? Was that what Bucky was to him? Somehow the word wasn’t big enough to cover the hole inside him. “So let’s fix it,” he replied, his voice conspicuously hoarse. 

“It is good to have a plan,” Thor beamed as he moved forward so brusquely that Steve nearly got whiplash. “Let us to Nornheim, Captain Rogers.” 


	2. The Fraudulent Bridge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is important to note that i am knowingly disregarding a bit of Norn canon in favor of doing whatever tf i want.

Steve stumbled unsteadily as he and Thor arrived at their destination. Nornheim was dark and boggy. His feet sank into the mud with each step and he followed quickly as he could as Thor headed for the footbridge to their left. Once they were both on the solid wood, Thor looked in each direction. Behind, the bridge led to a cave and forward, the bridge led to a line of trees that crowded together into a forest blocking their sightline. 

“This way,” Thor said certainly, heading for the dark mystery of the forest. 

“And here I thought the cave would be a good place to find the servants of the all-powerful.” 

Thor spoke matter-of-factly as he walked. “The cave contains a creature that would surely end our quest here and now. It can be trapped but if there is a way to end it, Asgard has yet to discover it.” 

Steve felt like apologizing. Thor still spoke of Asgard as though its entire populace hadn’t just been slaughtered. He could relate. “So that’s a unanimous veto on the cave, then. Where exactly are we going?” 

“The ruins of Nornkeep,” Thor replied without further explanation. Deciding details were going to be scant, Steve decided to simply accept that this was a situation so far beyond his pale that he shouldn’t bother asking for Asgard’s complete history- which it sounded like he might need to know to truly understand their situation. Suddenly, Thor lurched forward and Steve dove just in time to grab his arm. 

The solid wooden boards had shifted, changing into watery sludge. Grunting with effort, he worked to pull Thor back onto the solid section of bridge. The man was a lot heavier than he looked and Steve’s muscles strained to bring him up. “Seven hells!” Thor growled out as they finally managed to free him from the muck. They both lay panting and exhausted, slightly tangled at the arms. 

“You weighed down by all that god-power or what?” Steve teased breathlessly. 

“Perhaps attempting to lift me with Stormbreaker while unworthy-“

“I’m sorry, _Stormbreaker_?”

Thor hefted himself to a sitting position, without apologizing for grinding Steve’s elbow under his palm as he did so. “I am choosing to ignore your obvious contempt for the name of my axe. I believe we have stumbled on the first of the obstacles between us and the Norns. This trap is alchemical in nature. Transfiguring wood into this… Regardless, it cannot go on forever.” 

With the handle of _Stormbreaker_. Thor poked at several of the planks, watching as they all dissolved into watery black sludge. “We’ll go around,” Steve suggested. With a nod, Thor hopped off the sturdy bridge and continued to poke at the mud until he found the edge of the trap. It was going beautifully until Steve heard a sloshing over his shoulder and felt something wrap around his ankle. His mouth was full of mud before he realized he’d had his feet ripped from under him. Grabbing desperately at the grasses, hoping he could get any kind of grip on the roots, he tried to fight against whatever was pulling him toward the dark pool. 

“Rogers!” 

Thor bounded back toward the super soldier, having been a bit ahead of Steve as he scouted a safe path, and it was the last thing he saw before the thick waters swallowed him. He held his breath until his lungs burned and his chest heaved. He could hear his own muffled grunt in his ears, struggling, not knowing if he would ever come up for air but feeling certain he had to try to last as long as he could. Steve kicked at and grappled with whatever was wrapped around his ankle to no avail. Its grip was ironclad and he couldn’t get free. 

Just as his control over his lungs gave out, he was thrown on the sand of a dark shore, choking and spluttering so badly that it took him a full minute to realize that what had been wrapped around his ankle was a tail. Still coughing, he let his eyes trace the appendage up to the body of a dragon. “Oh, god,” he huffed. He reached for his shield and then looked up at the metal sound of the dragon clamping what he was looking for between its teeth. 

Looking around, it became clear to Steve that he’d been delivered to a cave, probably _the_ cave, which meant this was probably the creature Thor had been so worried about. He couldn’t have just said dragon? Steve knew what a goddamn dragon was. 

“So, uh… I’m Steve Rogers,” he introduced himself unsteadily. Did real dragons talk? Steve was pretty sure dragons in stories could talk. Some of them, at least. 

It looked away from him, deeper into the cave and Steve’s breath caught in his throat as Alexander Pierce approached. “Rogers,” he greeted and Steve’s heart pounded so hard in his throat that he thought he was about to vomit it out. “Nice of you to meet me here. Look, I heard about your little quest and I just have to say… I really don’t think you’re up to it.” 

“How the hell are you here?” Steve asked, ignoring what he was saying. Pierce was dead. 

“Oh, I’m not. Piece of advice?” He crouched in front of Steve, hands on his knees like they were having a friendly conversation and he was genuinely trying to help. “Forget about your Asgardian friend. Forget about all your friends. You’re not cut out for this and if you have any doubts about that, just think about what happened when you finally got your old war buddy away from me.” 

“I found him help?” Steve challenged angrily. “I gave him a safe place away from your torture and mind control?” 

Pierce only sighed in disappointment as he stood and turned his back on Steve. “He died. Again. Pretty good at that, aren’t you, Rogers? See, between the two of us, I think I’m generally proving my track record. HYDRA kept the Asset alive for about seventy years. You got him killed twice in a tiny fraction of that time span.” 

Ignoring the burning in his throat and lungs, Steve lunged forward with a roar. He skidded to a halt in shock as Pierce’s features shifted right in front of his eyes until he looked like Zola. “May I remind you that I am the one who made him nearly indestructible? Scorn me if you must, but I am the reason Sergeant Barnes survived his fall.” 

“Yeah, and what did he have to endure in exchange for that survival?” Steve ground out. Bucky was too efficient a killer now. Even if they’d brainwashed him enough to train him without torture, the fact that they carved out his consciousness and put it back however they wanted was bad enough. 

“Nothing science did not demand, Captain.” 

“Who are you?” Steve demanded. His mind was overwhelmed with visions of Bucky being sliced open and prodded at with lenses and magnifiers, his innermost workings on display for anyone to see, as if he were a machine and not a person. If this thing’s goal was to distract him from reaching the ruins Thor had been trying to lead them to, it was working and he couldn’t let it. 

“Who would you like me to be, Captain?” Its features shifted again to the face of Senator Stern. “You are right, you know. Zola’s interest was scientific, but the rest of us found other uses for him. Truly, he’s better off dead. You may have done him a favor.” Steve finally lost control, gripping the thing wearing Stern’s face by the throat and backing them up until he had it pressed against the uneven stone walls of the cave. “What did you do?” he ground out. 

It smiled at him as though it was funny that he thought he could hurt it in any way. “I’m a senator, Steven. It’s my job to _press the flesh_.”

Steve actually let out a wail, doing his best to crush the man’s windpipe as he grew closer to the super soldier’s height, redder, thinner, until he was the spitting image of the Red Skull. He threw Steve on the ground easily and stomped a boot into Steve’s neck, holding him in place even as he struggled to lift the foot in order to get out from under it. He’d been in this position before, inspiring Bucky’s very first lecture on backing down. Steve hadn’t been able to stop himself. A grown man had literally kicked a dog, more than once, so he really should have known the guy wouldn’t hesitate to kick a kid, but Steve could never ignore someone in pain- even if that someone wasn’t human. Bucky had sent someone for the cops before launching himself at the man, hanging behind from his neck to try to choke him out. He’d managed to distract the guy enough for Steve to get free, but he only landed a few good punches before his asthma rendered him useless. He and Bucky had both needed frozen vegetables after that fight. 

This time, there was no Bucky to save him and that thought did him in. He continued to struggle, but the lack of oxygen paired with the lack of optimism made his moves sluggish and soon his vision was tunneling. Just before he could pass out, the boot lifted and he rolled, coughing his throat back open as he gasped in much needed air. “The people you seek are more powerful than you could ever dream,” Schmidt informed him. “You are not worthy. Erskine was a fool to place you on a pedestal. Your entire life has been one long string of failures, leading to this latest form of utmost devastation. How many people must die under your protection before you see this, Captain Rogers?” 

Steve thought of Sokovia and Lagos and New York and apparently the entire universe. “I can only do what I can do,” he pleaded, as if Schmidt were capable or forgiveness or that Steve would even want it from him. That Steve should beg a Nazi for anything was unthinkable, but he was apparently even more broken than he thought possible. So it was the perfect time for this shapeshifter to go in for the kill. Its features shifted again. 

“Steve?” 

He grimaced and curled in on himself. If the creature killed him now, he wouldn’t care. 

“Stevie?” 

“Not him. Please-” Steve begged miserably. 

The parody of his best friend actually touched him and Steve flinched away bodily. “I can forgive you,” it promised. “All you have to do is stop. Back down, punk. Go home and stop this crazy stuff.” 

Steve shook his head and forced himself to look the thing in its eyes, no matter how much it hurt. “It’s a good trick. It really is. But this ain’t him. You didn’t get him quite right.” 

“Let me give you this, Stevie.” 

“I don’t need forgiveness from whatever you are.” 

Its grip tightened on his shoulder, still wearing Bucky’s face, not hurting him. It was like it was trying to comfort him and Steve didn’t understand. “You deserve it, Steve. You’re good and kind and your heart is bigger than anyone I ever met, pal. Don’t you think you’ve earned a rest?” 

“Maybe,” Steve agreed, though he didn’t want to admit he’d thought about it. “But the job ain’t done, pal. Therefore I’m not either.” 

The grip loosened and rubbed his arm and Steve pulled away, so it drew forward and for a moment Steve forgot he was dealing with some kind of hellbeast, that it had previously worn the faces of HYDRA, of some of Steve’s most hated people. For a moment, Bucky was leaning into Steve’s space, his hand on the blond’s waist, so close Steve could feel Bucky’s breath on his mouth. Then he remembered where he was, what _it_ was, and drew back in revulsion. “Get away. Get his face away from your disgusting-“

An echoing “Rogers!” made its way down to them and they both turned to look. Barely a beat passed before the dragon bounded up the shore of the underground lake toward what must be the above-water entrance to the cave. 

Viciously, the image of his friend pinned him to the sand and went in to bite his neck so hard it bled. When its head came back up, he did not recognize the features of the old woman on top of him. Was this its true face? He didn’t have time to properly take in the wrinkled raisin-texture of her face before she was knocked from him by Stormbreaker, which Steve would never tease Thor about ever again. 

He scooted away from the creature, reaching instinctively for the bleeding teeth marks on his neck. Thor was crossing the cavern and helping him up before Steve could even completely process what had happened. 

“I see you’ve met the hag.” 

Steve whipped around to see Loki approaching much more calmly than anyone who was supposed to be dead had a right to. With a wave of his hand, she fell backward with a small splash. “Stay down,” he said before turning to Thor. “We need to get out of here before the dragon recovers- or worse, it figures out how to escape. I’m willing to bet there was a lot of goading and anger just a bit ago.” 

“Of course, brother,” Thor agreed, heaving Steve to his feet and slinging the soldier’s arm around his shoulders as if he couldn’t walk on his own. 

“Thor, I thought you said Loki-“

“Survived!” Thor exclaimed happily. “Never have I been so happy to have a liar for a brother. Oh, and you must have left this with the dragon.” 

Steve accepted the blessedly unharmed shield without acknowledgment. “Thor, I think we need to entertain the idea that that is not Loki.” 

“Nonsense,” Loki interrupted. “You’re just suspicious because of that number the hag did on you.” 

“Right, and I’m sure there’s only one shapeshifting sadist in this world,” Steve remarked, voice dripping with sarcasm. 

“It so happens you’re not wrong, but I’m also Loki,” the man smirked. Steve wasn’t sure if he was joking about being a shapeshifting sadist or not. “Come on, the Norns are tired of waiting. They’ve been arguing about when to put the kettle on since Thanos spared Stark.” 

“Tony’s alive?” Steve clarified. 

Loki gave him a hard look and silently led on. His silence was the bigger concern than anything. Steve didn’t know Loki well, but he knew the trickster enjoyed a good monologue. “Do not worry,” Thor murmured to Steve confidentially, “I have asked him not to mention your dead brother-in-arms.” 

“Yeah, good call,” Steve replied in a tight voice. Bucky might be the only one with a resurrection game to rival Loki’s, but Steve was pretty sure that, unlike Thor, he would not be getting his loved one back. 

“I have also asked him not to mention his own miraculous escape once more from death’s icy clutches.” 

“Thanks, Thor,” Steve replied, voice even tighter. 

“You are most welcome, Rogers!” he replied, seemingly noticing none of the distress in Steve at all. “What are friends for?” 

_Dying_ , Steve almost said aloud before he could banish the thought. The ice was creeping in on him again and he wasn’t sure how long he could keep his head above the water. 

Loki steered them easily around the few traps, finding invisilble turns in the footbridge so that it looked like they were walking on mud but instead heard the solid sound of shoes on wood as they progressed through the bog. The forest was dark and reminded him a little too much of Germany and of the cold nights alone in his tent. Even with the extra warmth his body produced with the serum, he found himself shivering too hard to stand one January night, just a few months after Azzano. That was the first time Steve gave up on sleep and went out to try to keep warm at the small campfire. He’d found Bucky awake and just as cold, staring blankly into the embers. That was the day that Steve learned who Bucky was when he wasn’t Bucky. They combined their blankets, sitting next to each other on a too-small log and Bucky talked about fear and lack of control and utter _helplessness_ as his body was turned into a science experiment. 

Steve should have gone back. He shouldn’t have stopped until he found a body. All of those things had happened to Bucky again, probably worse- and for what? He finally got his freedom only to become nothing more than ash. 

He was lost in memories of shared warmth and campfires and he barely felt the impact of his feet with the soft earth as they walked. Trees went by in a procession of monotony while he thought about the latest face on a long list of those he’d never see again. Steve had been wrong earlier. The ice hadn’t been creeping back in. It had all thawed and soaked into the ground. He felt like Nornheim looked: muddy and overgrown. Emotion was drying up until he felt as barren as the castle ruins he could at last see in the distance. 

When they finally arrived, Loki led them into a stone dining hall. The walls varied widely, from rising all the way to what must have once been the ceiling to dipping to a height that was nothing more than a tripping hazard. Faint sunlight streamed in through the keep’s new ceiling of treetops. 

Three women sat at the far end of a long stone table. One of the legs had broken off, so it slanted down and to the right, and somehow it didn’t undermine the absolute authority they seemed to exude. 

“Welcome, I am Verdandi,” said the black-haired woman at the head of the table. She gestured in turn to the slightly-lighter haired older woman to her right and the small frame hidden in a cloak to her left. “These are my sisters, Urd and Skuld. We’ve been waiting for you. I do hope the hag did not unsettle you too much? She likes to fish for hatred. I dare say you will have made her work for it.” 

Steve blinked. Of course they knew. His eyes darted to the smaller, hidden sister as she stood and crossed to a small stone table against the wall, the only one that still stood level. She did not speak as she poured a glass of water and crossed to offer just the one- to Steve. He eyed it silently, unable to hide his unease. 

“Captain Rogers, the water is meant to help.” 

The assurance came from Verdandi, not the sister offering it to him. Somehow, he didn’t think it would reassure him from any of them. He took it anyway and that seemed to satisfy them, even if he didn’t drink. 

“Good. Now that we have taken care of the formalities, what is it you want from us, Thor, son of Odin?” 

“I come to seek counsel,” he replied, still quite formal in spite of that part having been supposedly taken care of. “As you surely know, we face a mighty threat which we have been unable to defeat.” 

“Your pasts are bathed in blood,” the brunette finally spoke. 

“You wish for the water to wash it clean,” Verdandi added. 

Steve couldn’t help but look at what was in his hands. Was their verbiage intentionally metaphorical? Was it literal? He was just about to drink, consequences and poisons be damned, when the surface of the water colored and swirled and he saw himself. Worse than that, he saw Bucky. They were alive, in what looked like his DC apartment, sitting on his couch laughing and smiling. His heart broke for the future that would never come to be. Was this the Norns or his own sadistic mind? 

He stared at Bucky’s smile until his friend reached for Steve’s own hand across the ripples of the water’s surface. Steve realized the ripples themselves were from his own, real hands. He was shaking. In the water, his hands were steady, probably warm in Bucky’s as they stared at each other. Steve couldn’t make out what Bucky was saying, but it must have been important because suddenly the water version of himself was crying and Bucky was wrapping him in a hug, looking bewildered. 

The vision ended abruptly and Steve realized most of a conversation had happened while he was lost in his own head. Thor and the Norns were ignoring him entirely, but there was one pair of blue eyes on Steve’s own. Loki blinked in sympathy and Steve realized the tickle on his cheek was a tear. Embarrassed, he wiped it away quickly. 

“Where will we find the first of these seven trials?” Thor asked, and Steve guessed that was as good a summary as any on what he missed. 

“You will not,” Verdandi offered simply. 

Steve’s eyes fell on Thor’s fist as it gripped the handle of his axe a little too tight, skin making a scrubbing noise against the wood. “Should I take this to mean it will find us or that it will not be found?” 

All three of them smiled cryptically- and how Steve knew that the silent sister was smiling beneath her hood was beyond him, but he was certain she was. 

“We will be watching, and so will Those Who Sit Above in Shadow,” Verdandi merely replied. “Godspeed.” 

Steve actually snorted at the farewell and he caught an almost-smirk from the middle sister. Maybe it was a joke, then. He didn’t get confirmation either way as the trio filed out and Loki grabbed his brother by the elbow to steer the pair of them out the opposite exit. “I feel no better prepared than I did before hearing their predictions,” Thor grumbed. 

“Somehow I don’t think you were their primary audience, brother,” Loki replied. 

Steve turned and saw the trickster eyeing him curiously. “What is that supposed to mean?” 

“What did you see in the water?” 

Steve swallowed, feeling like Loki had physically hit him. “Nothing,” he replied, because that’s what it had been. Impossible things from the deep well of the what-should-have-been poison of his grief. Nothing. 

“You were crying.” 

Anger rose in Steve more quickly than he could respond to it. “Some of us actually have to live with death,” he snapped. “Not all of us can trick our way out of it.” 

Steve shoved forward toward the denser wood and ignored the look of shock on Thor’s face. “I guess some of us only project saint-like good will!” Loki called after him, and it was probably close to what Thor was thinking as well. Thankfully, Steve had a handle on himself by then or he would have reacted with another thing he shouldn’t say. He stopped and took a few breaths as they caught up to him. This wasn’t who Steve was. He didn’t shout at people or take his anger out on those who didn’t deserve it. 

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, his tone as defeated as he felt. “I’m not… This is… I can’t lead right now. I can fight, but I’m not myself. Thor, can you-?”

The Asgardian inclined his head gravely, concern written across his brow. “You grieve like a warrior,” he acknowledged. 

Steve nodded his agreement and added, “Just point me in a direction. Tell me who and how lethal. I just can’t make any more decisions. I don’t… It’s hard to win when I don’t feel like fighting.” 

Thor didn’t seem to pick up on the implications of the deep shame Steve had just admitted, but the slight movement of Loki’s head in his peripheral vision indicated that the darker-haired brother had read him loud and clear. Captain America was now on an unspoken and very confidential suicide watch, and it was probably the only thing he’d managed to do right that day. 

“When we are clear of the trees, I will return us to Earth. We will return to the original plan of trying to recover our allies until the first of the seven challenges finds us. We will have our two captains,” Thor decided. Steve wished he had that kind of confidence. 

“Two captains?” 

“Yes, we must find our second at the end of the seven obstacles. As they said,” Thor responded, his tone indicating that Steve had missed much more than he thought. 

“I believe our human friend had other things to think about while you were interrogating the Norns, brother,” Loki replied, swiftly cutting between them and saving Steve from having to explain how impotent he’d been made by loss. “Now, it’s my opinion that we should find other allies capable of magic.” 

“I believe I know just which sorcerer to contact.” 

The multicolored light of their departure lit the landscape of Nornheim, reflecting off a pair of eyes in the cave where Steve had been taken by the Hag. As they blinked, they seemed to grow. 


	3. The Lost Sanctuary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted this to be better, but not as much as i wanted to post it before work.

Steve blinked as they arrived in what he was fairly sure was London. The city was in chaos, vehicles crashed into buildings, bicycles abandoned along with various other activities someone could have been doing on the street before vanishing forever. Part of him wondered how many of them had families or friends still alive, and if any of them felt as useless as Steve did. Another part of him was glad his two Asgardian partners were leading on as if this were the usual landscape, eyes only on the mission and their destination. The rest of him was thinking about God. 

Steve had been raised a certain way, and he believed certain things, and he was torn between wondering if Bucky would be sent to Hell for things he had no choice in and if such a place even existed. In a world where he rubbed elbows with gods and where one could make himself so powerful as to halve existence in one moment, how could he believe in One True God? And, if he did, how could that God have allowed this to happen? If this was a test, it wasn’t fair. It was cruel. 

If they had thought the streets were in chaos, it was nothing compared to the unassuming house they’d approached on Bleeker street. Thor knocked twice the first time, smiling awkwardly at Steve as the three of them waited in silence. It dragged on for half a minute before the god cleared his throat, made an apologetic face, and knocked again, three times, with such force that it probably should have brought the door down. 

There was a muffled shout from inside, and the sound of mad scrambling. Thor raised his eyebrows and his chin in a half-nod that indicated this was normal and to be expected. Somehow, Steve doubted it. 

Finally, the door was flung open as a man with a put-upon look took them in and left them with an open door. “Guess that’s all the invite we’re going to get,” Steve remarked. 

They followed inside, and Steve immediately scrambled to regain his footing. “Is this sand?” he asked, his eyes following the trail up a staircase to a portal that the man seemed unable to close. Through the glowing circle, he could see what appeared to be a desert in the midst of a sandstorm. 

“I’ve almost got it!” the sorcerer called down, and Steve got the impression he’d been fighting to close it for quite some time now. Suddenly, a woman appeared, looking excited to see them. She motioned to someone off to the side, looking excited, though she made no move to step through. 

“Captain Rogers!” she called, just as an old man appeared on her right and Thor exclaimed, “Selvig!” 

“Wait!” Steve and Thor cried in unison, but it was too late. Panting as he recovered from closing the portal, their harried host bent forward with his hands on his knees for a moment before taking a seat on the top step of the grand staircase. “That was a friend!” Thor shouted. 

“That was an out-of-control portal,” the man returned. “I am sorry if you knew them, but the last time one of those opened up here, we almost lost our entire reality to the dark.” 

“That sounds rather dramatic,” Loki decided, but a look from the other man silenced him. “I am Loki, of Asgard, and this is my brother Thor.” 

“Wong. I know exactly who you are,” replied the man before turning to Steve. “How can I help you, Avengers?” 

Steve suddenly realized he was being looked to as the leader and it made his skin crawl. “Well, I think you’re aware of the problem we’re facing.” 

“Yes, and let me tell you, it has only become more difficult to protect the sanctuary. You would think that losing half our sorcerers would be less damaging since, in theory, we also lost half our threats, but it seems as though the remaining threats have grown more bold.” 

Loki took a step toward Steve, not literally in front of him, but it felt like he was intentionally trying to steer attention from the bearded Avenger as he spoke. “That’s why we’re here. To help. We’re also hoping you can help us in return.” 

“Loki,” Wong acknowledged, as though the mere name left a bad taste in his mouth. “Why would I make any kind of deal with someone like you?” 

Loki held up his hands in what seemed like genuine offense. “You’re making the deal with _us_ , and I’ll have you know that I care just as much about the outcomes here as you do.” 

Now that Wong pointed it out, Steve felt a little of his gratitude turn to suspicion. He couldn’t help but notice Loki hadn’t specified what kind of outcome he was angling for. It was less than ideal, but Steve realized he didn’t care as long as he got Bucky back. Maybe it was his grief, or maybe this was one of the few things he just couldn’t try to be selfless about, but Steve wasn’t sure what he would do if he had to choose between Bucky and the rest of the world. He could only hope it wouldn’t come down to that. 

“And exactly what deal is it that I’m making?” Wong demanded. 

Loki smiled a smile that seemed to say _I’m so glad you asked…_ “We Avengers-“

“Loki is not an Avenger,” Thor interrupted and Loki shot him a glare before continuing. 

“ _We_ will find Thanos and get the gauntlet from him. We’ll use it to reverse everything that’s happened.” 

“I don’t see how this helps me.” 

“You’ll have your full staff of sorcerers again, and-“

“Listen, there are rules,” Wong began. “Laws of nature. Dealing with time is tricky and any number of things could go impossibly wrong. You could make things worse.” 

“Half of all life has been extinguished,” Steve pointed out, his voice strangled. It felt like half of his own life had been extinguished, and it would have been better if either all or none of it had. “How exactly do we make that worse?” 

“Half of all life has been captured,” Wong corrected, as if that was common knowledge. He began to talk about the soul stone, but all Steve heard was: 

“Bucky’s alive?” 

“They all are,” Wong replied, looking like Steve had just asked if the sky was blue and if water was also wet. “Except for the physical kills involving power and strength, all those taken by the gauntlet should be just that: taken. As I said, the soul stone is where many concepts of an afterlife originate. There is a pocket universe inside the stone which collects souls. That is where its name comes from.” 

“So we can get them all back,” Steve tried to clarify. 

“Well, you can certainly try, although no one has ever managed it. The world in the soul stone creates a hell of one’s own making. It is likely that none of them realize where they are or even that it isn’t real. They will be reliving and traveling in the same miserable circle of their own regrets.” Steve couldn’t help but picture Bucky in an endless loop of watching himself kill innocent people with no control over his own body. 

“How do you know?” Loki interjected, and Wong gave him a questioning expression. “If no one’s ever managed to come back from the soul stone, how do you know what it’s like in there?” 

“I said no one has ever gotten anyone back,” Wong corrected. “I never said no one has ever come back. There was a sorcerer hundreds of years ago who was trapped in the soul stone. His account is sparse on exact details, but we do know that it was deeply traumatic.” 

“But we don’t _know_ it was deeply traumatic if it was sparse on details,” Loki insisted and Steve was starting to wonder why Loki seemed to be saying so many things that were possibly for the benefit of someone who’d lost a loved one. 

“We know because others filled in the blanks. It took years to retrieve even a partial story from him because of the deep psychological issues he suffered as a result. The souls trapped in the stone must first realize their reality is a false one, and then they must pass through many difficult and disturbing trials to reach the way out.” 

“Alright, so we’ll bypass that,” Loki insisted. 

Wong only glared at him as though he were an idiot who wasn’t listening, which was probably at least half true. “So what you’re saying is that you can only escape the soul stone from inside the soul stone.” 

“Rogers, you are not getting yourself-“

“I just want to make sure I understand,” Steve cut Loki off. Even Thor seemed to have picked up on the fact that his brother was placing a lot of effort into Captain America’s peace of mind. Steve was going to have to nip that in the bud. The last thing he needed was the remaining Avengers dogging his every move out of worry. 

“So far, yes. That’s the only way that has been discovered,” Wong confirmed. “Now, what do I get in return for this information?” 

“Help,” Loki replied as if it was obvious. “Your sanctuaries are being attacked, you need more mystics.” 

“I don’t think I’ll be needing help from you,” Wong replied. “Besides, we don’t actually operate on a quid pro quo system here. Our mission is to save the world, not trade it.” 

“So you don’t want an extra pair of hands?” 

“Not when they are considered a global threat.” 

Steve considered throwing two cents in, pointing out that Loki did genuinely seem to want to help, but Wong was right. Loki had previously tried to take over their world and knowing about its magical defenses would only help to facilitate a more successful second attempt. Steve wasn’t convinced he’d make one, but if Wong and the other sanctuaries had things under control, there was no need to add an extra element of risk. Not even Thor seemed willing to argue. Then again, Thor had been conspicuously silent, letting his brother take lead as he just… observed. Steve didn’t want to think about what he might have picked up on. 

“Alright, have it your way,” Loki conceded. “How are your tracking spells?” 

“What are you looking for?” asked the sorcerer, though he seemed to be getting grumpier by the minute and it was clear they were overstaying their welcome. 

“More of a who,” Steve stepped in. Wong seemed to think Steve was in charge, or at least wanted him to be if they were judging on who he tried to talk to first. Maybe it would help if Steve took lead. Knowing Bucky was alive helped at least a little… as long as he didn’t think about what his friend might be going through. “We need to find Tony Stark.” 

“He is… far away,” Wong informed them. “He was with Doctor Strange, so I could sense him for a short while before the doctor was taken.” 

Steve’s eyebrows rose. “Strange is dead?” 

“Taken,” Wong corrected, frustration evident in his tone. “Yes. Almost everyone on the planet. I can’t tell you exactly where it is, only the general direction through space.” 

Steve nodded. “What about the rest of the Avengers? Can you find any of them?” 

“There is a spell. Think of who you want to find, Captain Rogers. If they are on Earth, I can open a doorway.” 

Steve did his best to focus on each Avenger they hadn’t found as Wong tried and failed to open doorways in an impressive fizz of sparks each time until finally, one opened. 

“Who were you thinking of?” Thor asked. 

Steve frowned. “Vision,” he replied. It should have been pointless to think of Vision, and he was definitely thinking of Bucky a little bit as well. Some of the things he’d done on that battlefield had been ridiculous, as though he’d been trying to have fun in the middle of a war. His eyes crinkled a little in fondness as he thought about a friend who could go through and experience so much evil and still find ways to smile and get back up. Thankfully, the others were already stepping through and didn’t see his expression. He followed quickly and was immediately assaulted with a very loud stream of profanity. 

“Rabbit!” Thor exclaimed and took off. 

“Rabbit?” Loki echoed and Steve only shrugged helplessly. “Were you thinking of a rabbit? I don’t see Vision anywhere around here.” 

“I don’t know what happened,” Steve informed him honestly. “Sounds like someone needs help.” 

Without waiting for a response, Steve followed Thor’s lead and ran toward the shouts of distress only to see that the person Thor called rabbit was the raccoon that Bucky had made friends with. “Oh,” he realized. He’d been thinking of Bucky and this raccoon and their shared love of guns, and the ridiculous stunt they’d pulled together. 

Thor had already taken out the two alien dogs (wolves? What could he even call those things?) that were chasing the raccoon, and it collapsed into a heap of exhaustion, panting as it caught its breath. “Rabbit, it is good to see you!” Thor gushed. 

“Thor, that’s a raccoon,” Loki corrected him gently. 

“I’m not a raccoon or a rabbit,” the thing bit out and Steve felt his eyebrows go up again. “I’m me. I’m Rocket. Thanks for the assist, by the way… Ran out of ammo.” 

“You alright?” Steve asked. 

Rocket swayed to his feet, still hunched a bit. “Yeah, I’m good, I’m good. Be better once I get a full cartridge. Maybe talk your buddy into selling that rifle. Where is he, by the way?” 

Steve’s face went hard as Thor addressed the issue for him. Rocket’s jaw dropped a little, his small pointed teeth suddenly visible. He walked forward and patted Steve’s leg. “My partner’s dust now, too.” 

Steve had no idea why a small paw on his thigh was what did it, but he felt a small sob wrench out of him. Clenching his jaw, he managed to stop any more, but it was enough to confirm whatever Thor had thought he’d figured out at the sanctuary. Steve wasn’t alright. Not even finding out that Bucky was alive somewhere was enough to make him alright. 

“We’re gonna get them back,” Steve promised. “They’re not dead, just trapped. We’re gonna get them out.” 

Whatever Rocket had been expecting, it wasn’t that. His eyes widened a little and he inclined his head in acknowledgement, patting Steve’s leg again before backing off. “Come on, I’ve almost fixed your robot guy.” 

“Our robot guy?” Steve echoed. 

“Yeah, red and gold, wore a cape that I got rid of immediately? Seriously, who gives a robot a cape?” 

“Vision?” 

“That’s what you call that thing?” 

Steve bristled and the raccoon (or whatever Rocket was) held up his hands. “Do you want your robot fixed or not? I cannibalized a couple things from the Wakandan shields- figure they’re damaged pretty bad anyway, so they won’t miss too much- and I think it’s just about ready to boot up.” 

“Vision doesn’t just ‘boot up’, he’s more than parts and-“

“He’s ready to boot up,” Rocket insisted as they walked through the forest. Steve sighed and stopped arguing. It was clear he’d accidentally been thinking of Bucky and Rocket, so that was why they’d ended up here. Even though he had been thinking of Vision, there was no way he was alive. Not without the stone. Shuri was good, probably the best, but Steve knew she hadn’t finished working around the stone so it could be removed. Vision was gone. 

“Seriously though, what is up with you people and capes? No offense-“ Rocket assured the Asgardians. “They’re not practical. I kept tripping all over the robot’s when I was trying to move him. That was half the reason I ripped the thing off. The other half being that it’s just a crime of fashion.” 

They reached the edge of the trees and followed Rocket toward the border. Steve cringed as he saw Vision’s crumpled form at the edge of the country’s shield. He looked like a fraction of the hero he was. His face no longer looked sleek or even whole. His forehead had been recovered with a metal plate. It was undoubtedly vibranium and therefore the best metal plate they could give him, but he still looked like an old car that had been repaired from an accident by a chop shop had done the bare minimum to get him running again. 

Steve was almost afraid as their small and furry new ally poked around behind the plate before slapping it shut with finality. He heard a faint whirring and suddenly the lights in Vision’s eyes went up and he sat. Steve actually stumbled back a step, wondering how Rocket had managed this when Shuri hadn’t. 

Vision scanned their faces stiffly. “Captain Rogers,” he said, tone remarkably flat. “How may I be of assistance?” 

“Vision?” 

“That is my designation.” 

Steve felt his heart hammer once, painfully, in his chest. “You mean your name, right?” 

“Please outline mission parameters,” Vision replied as if he hadn’t heard the question. 

Steve understood exactly what was happening now. Vision had been rebooted- entirely. He was no longer a thinking being. He was just, as Rocket had called him, a robot. There was no time to freak out over it, though. The robot that used to be Vision was asking for a mission, and Steve had one. “The mission is to find Thanos and free everyone from the soul stone on his gauntlet.” 

“Mission parameters?” prompted the patchy bot. 

“Protect Avengers, allies, and civilians. Stop agents of Thanos from interfering.” 

“Confirmed.” 

Steve blinked. “Good. Uh. We need to find more allies.” 

“We’ll track down the rest of my team,” Rocket told Steve. “Thor’s met them, right Thor?” 

“The rabbit is a formidable captain,” Thor agreed. “His crew are not quite as bright.” 

“Hey! They have their moments,” Rocket insisted. “We’re not called the Guardians of the Galaxy for nothing, you know.” 

Wong was even less thrilled to see them a second time. He and Loki had a heated discussion in the corner while Rocket surreptitiously tried to examine Steve’s new shield, yanking his hand away any time Steve turned his attention south. Finally, Steve crouched down and held out the shield so Rocket could properly look at it. He turned it over a few times, tracing its edges, taking in every minute detail, before finally saying, “You know, I could add a couple guns right here, maybe a storage compartment for a grenade or two-“

“No,” Steve replied, taking the shield back. 

“Oh, come on!” Rocket whined. “Right now it’s basically a glorified Frisbee! How can you take anything out with it?” 

“I throw it,” Steve replied and that only seemed to upset their new companion further. Rocket was five minutes into a rant on the laws of physics when Loki returned looking far more pleased than Wong. “He’ll do it?” 

“Even better, he taught me how,” Loki beamed. He laid his hand flat on top of Rocket’s head, which was another entry on the long list of things that seemed to piss the small being off to no end. Glaring up at the wrist above his eyebrows, Rocket bared his teeth and Steve wondered if he should mention it to the Asgardian. “Think of your crew, one at a time.” 

As each sparking circle failed to take hold, Rocket’s anger diminished and then seemed to grow. Finally, he pulled away from the offending palm and shouted, “You’re doing it wrong!” 

“I’m doing it just fine,” Loki insisted. 

“I can’t be the only one left!” 

Steve’s heart clenched as he realized what was happening. “You’re not the only one left,” he assured the creature. “You’ve got us, and I guarantee you that we’ve got more people we haven’t found yet.” 

Rocket shook his head, but didn’t say anything else. He stepped back up to Loki and gestured, bereft, at his head. This time, the sparks lit and they could see the surface of a large body of water and hear distinctly pained shrieking. Quickly, Steve rushed through, letting out a hiss of pain as he realized that he’d not only landed himself on a different planet (judging by the three suns in the sky), but in a sea that felt like it was boiling. Maybe it was the _three suns_. How the hell did he get into situations like this? 

He saw the source of the shrieking almost immediately and swam for her. Her skin was blue and various parts of her seemed to be more machine than Vision had been. Without asking, he hooked an arm under her shoulders and began to swim back for the portal. It was too warm and he could hardly breathe with the humidity coming off the water. Realizing what was happening, the woman started to struggle free. 

“I’m trying to help!” Steve shouted, his voice pained as the water seared his skin through his uniform. “We’ve got to get to the portal!” 

She let out an inhuman scream, and Steve could see red spots in the water where it had boiled through her skin. He briefly considered knocking her out, but that wasn’t the foot he wanted to start on, so he tried to turn her gaze on the portal. Thankfully, Rocket was in view, still standing in the sanctuary on the edge of the portal. “Nebula!” he yelled, and that seemed to get her attention. She still didn’t allow Steve to help, but she was at least swimming for the portal. He helped boost her into it, and Thor pulled her through (with Rocket tugging at her side). Steve started to climb through, but his muscles were shaking from pain and fatigue and he slipped, banging his forehead against the edge of the platform formed by the place where the floor of the sanctuary and portal met. He went fuzzy just long enough to slip under the water and _breathe in_. Fire boiled his lungs and he was barely aware of the hands in his hair, on his neck and shoulders, pulling him from the water and onto the solid floor of the sanctuary. 

He coughed and gasped, trying to soothe his lungs with the cool air but only succeeded in allowing his sight to tunnel and finally go dark. 


	4. The Burning Tomb

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not edited at all because i was determined to post it before bed and i have literally three more hours to get up for work.  
> I might edit and copy over later, but for now... have a stucky slashback. (I definitely made that word up, but i feel confident someone else made it up first.)(Also it's not really slash because it was platonic, but i needed something to get me through Steve Grieving until there's real slash.)

After Azzano, Steve never did sleep well. He’d lie awake in his tent, built for a regular-sized soldier, too big for who he used to be and too small for who the serum had built him into. With his hair just brushing one end of the tent, he would trace the zipper with his toes. They were never under a blanket because another thing the serum had done was make him constantly run warm. It was never so extreme that he was uncomfortable, but it made blankets often superfluous. There were times during the harsh European winter that he was glad for both blankets and his physiological changes, but mostly he just lay awake, tracing seams with his toes until they grew raw. By the time that changed and he had callouses on the top tips of his toes which rarely saw the ground when he walked, so had his sleeping arrangements. 

After Azzano, Bucky had changed too, and in hindsight Steve should have seen it. He didn’t sleep much, either ate more than he used to or lost weight. The only reason Steve knew how little Bucky slept was the January night he’d given up on sleep and found Bucky curled around the dying embers of their small campfire as if to protect them from the chill winds. 

Steve spent too much time going over the secrets Bucky had revealed and how obvious it was that they’d tried to replicate the serum in him. Then again, Steve hadn’t been able to get drunk or even buzzed after the serum. Bucky had. It took a lot, but Steve still remembered the first night Bucky stumbled into his tent- not inside it, literally into the tent. If Steve hadn’t been so large to weigh it down, the canvas building would have toppled over. He could have been relieved to realize it was only Bucky and not an attack of some kind, but he was only more worried when he scented the alcohol and saw the hazy look behind an equally hazy smile. 

“Buck? Are you drunk?” 

He knew the answer, but he didn’t expect the easy, “Yep,” from the brunet as if Steve had asked if it was raining outside. 

Steve put a hand on Bucky’s shoulder to steady him, and the contact drew most of his attention. “What’s wrong?” 

Bucky shook his head, his face crumpling as his body crumpled into Steve’s. “It’s so goddamn cold, Steve. So… goddamn cold.” 

He wasn’t wrong. January had been brutal, and February wasn’t any better. Still, Bucky was cold to touch, and Steve wrapped him in a hug to help at least the one thing he could. “You wanna tell me why you’re drunk out of your mind?” 

“Trying to get warm,” Bucky slurred, his voice muffled and lips cold against the bare crook of Steve’s neck. “Drinking used to make me warm.” 

Steve frowned in sympathy. If he was cold with his super serum, everyone else had to be miserable. “Come on,” he murmured and hefted Bucky into his tent. It was virtually impossible to get him to move in this state, especially since he didn’t want to seem to detach himself from the warmth Steve offered. “Come on, get your jacket and shoes off.” 

It took some struggling, but finally Steve managed to get the intoxicated soldier to lie down so that he could pull him close and cover them with a blanket. For several minutes, Bucky shivered against him, almost violent in his desire to get as close to Steve’s warmth as possible. Finally, he seemed to reach a comfortable temperature and relaxed, the alcohol knocking him out entirely. Steve stayed awake a bit longer that night, worry creasing his forehead as he wondered if the cold was really the reason Bucky had felt the need to drink until he could hardly walk. The next morning, he asked his friend to come to him first, before drinking to excess, and the next night Bucky was in his tent again, sober. Bucky came to him most nights after that, and both of them started sleeping better. From what Steve had learned of the twenty-first century, they probably couldn’t get away with that now, not without people assuming they were together. Hell, they couldn’t get away with looking at each other without having that assumption thrust upon them. 

Pain was what brought him back, wheezing and thinking of the friend he loved more than life itself. “Good, you’re alive,” he heard Wong say as he wove sparks of magic above Steve. Slowly, the pain faded and it grew easier to breathe. 

“Like having asthma all over again,” Steve croaked as everyone’s attention turned to the top of the staircase. The blue woman appeared to be healed, which meant she’d been tended to first. However, in spite of her alien appearance, she wasn’t what had drawn everyone’s notice. At the top landing, the portal to the desert landscape had reformed and was blowing light amounts of sand into the London sanctuary. 

“Thor!” the old man was calling through. “Thor, are you still there?!” 

The Asgardian stepped in front of Wong as he went to go close the portal. “Tend to Rogers. I will deal with this portal.” 

“You can close it?” Wong challenged. 

“I can figure out why it’s opened, and I suspect it was opened by my friend up there.” Thor pointed and the older man waved enthusiastically. As if on cue, Steve’s lungs rebelled at the sudden lack of healing energy flowing through them and he choked in a way that filled his mouth with the flavor of copper. 

It distracted Wong just long enough for Thor to bound up to the portal, but Steve wasn’t about to take this development lying down. Who knew how long this portal would stay open? What if Thor went through and they couldn’t get to him? 

Struggling to his feet, Steve pushed the sorcerer away. “I heal quickly,” he rasped out as an excuse to be left alone as he hobbled up the steps. His skin felt raw where the burns had only started to heal and he ignored the sensation as best as he could. Past Thor, he could see the woman who still didn’t look remotely familiar light up. 

“Captain Rogers, thank goodness,” she said. “We need Doctor Banner and Tony Stark, please tell me they’re with you.” 

Steve’s face must have been answer enough, even though he could easily find Bruce. “Thor,” the man interrupted. “Where your hammer fell in New Mexico- there’s a singularity forming and we need to stop it. Any scientists, engineers, anyone. We need every brain we can get on this.” 

“We can get you Bruce,” Steve said, doing his best to get his head back on straight. It was difficult after such a vivid dream about Bucky- especially one that had been so comfortable and _real_. “I bet we can convince some of Wakanda’s scientists to help out as well.” 

“That would be great, Captain Rogers,” the woman nodded. “I don’t know how long we can keep this portal open to… where are you?” 

“London,” Steve replied. 

“Not exactly where we were aiming, but I suppose it worked out.” 

Steve gave her a winning smile. “Definitely could have gone worse. We can find you, ma’am. We’ll gather who we can and report to New Mexico as soon as possible.” 

“Thank you, Captain.” 

“And, Thor,” the man interrupted as the woman (whose name Steve really needed to learn) headed out of their sight line. “I’m so sorry to tell you this way, but Jane and Darcy… they didn’t make it.” 

Steve looked to Thor as the scientist turned to argue with the woman out of sight just before the portal closed. Thor’s back remained turned to them for several seconds before Loki called gently, “Brother?” 

Shoulders straightened under a red cape and, as if nothing were wrong at all, Thor turned to them with a muted ( _broken_ , Steve thought to himself) smile. “Let us fetch the scientist for Doctor Selvig,” the god decided, and that was that. Loki tried to say something else and was silenced with a look. It wasn’t lost on Steve how different this Loki was from the megalomaniac who’d tried to conquer Earth not that long ago. First, he helped them find the Norns, looked concerned about Steve’s veiled confession, and now he was trying to look after what was undoubtedly a grieving Thor. Steve knew he and Jane had broken things off, but he was also fairly certain there were still feelings there. He’d met her once, briefly, and had found her to be extremely intelligent. Steve never wondered what drew them together even if it perhaps should have. Wondering that would be the same as wondering what drew him and Bucky together. After all, Bucky had been good looking and charming even at a young age. Steve still hadn’t completely shaken the self-consciousness about his body- even now that most people would consider it flawless. With his various ailments and tiny stature, Bucky should never have looked twice at him. Hell, Bucky should have been one of his bullies. The fact that he had never been tempted was reason one that Steve was never going to fall out of love with him.

Steve’s heart hammered briefly in his chest as he realized what he’d just thought. Loki was forming the portal back to Wakanda and he hurried to go through, but his mind was too busy trying to untangle what exactly he’d meant by thinking he was _in_ love with Bucky. They’d slept together dozens of times during the war and aside from some awkward pants situations in the morning (which he was still pretty sure meant nothing aside from the fact that neither of them had had sex recently and were pressed against another body), there hadn’t been any kind of physical attraction. Had there? Steve had never looked longingly at Bucky’s lips or wanted to dance with him like he had Peggy. His admiration of Bucky’s looks was more jealous aspiration than anything else. Right? 

He threw in a few words here and there as Thor and (largely) Loki explained the situation to Bruce and a Wakandan named Azari. He’d seen her helping Shuri several times in the lab when he came to visit Bucky, and she’d done an admirable job dumbing down the science for him. Steve actually felt as though he had a decent understanding of what HYDRA had done to his friend and how the Wakandans had managed to undo it thanks to Azari. 

She met his eyes past the Asgardians and gave him a sad smile. She had liked Bucky and Bucky had mentioned her enough that Steve knew there was at least a casual friendship there. Somehow, coming from her, the apology in her eyes wasn’t as painful. She was sad about the same thing he was, not just offering condolences on a grief they could never share. 

Finally, finally they were ready to go. Bruce and Azari gathered some computer stuff (Steve was sure there were technical names, but he didn’t know any of them.)( _Bucky probably would_ , he thought forlornly.) and Loki began to form a portal, using Thor’s connection to Doctor Selvig. He knew the portal was open before he even turned to it because he could feel the intense wind coming through as soon as the connection was established. Steve began to cross over and squinted against the sand that was blowing light abrasions everywhere he had exposed skin. They all went through as if it were an everyday occurrence and not one of them seemed scared of the storm or the fact that they were crossing half the globe in one step. 

The sand flinging itself against his face was even worse once they stepped through, but luckily Selvig and the woman who had yet to introduce herself came rushing over to them all with goggles. Steve accepted his graciously from Selvig, trying to catch the woman’s eye so he could ask her name, but it was useless- especially when he couldn’t seem to keep them open. Putting the goggles on, he was suddenly faced by the woman as she handed him a handkerchief- she’d been handing out kerchiefs while Selvig handed out goggles, Steve now realized. She gestured to the one she had over her nose and mouth and he nodded, tying the kerchief over his own airways. 

The warmth built up quickly behind the kerchief and that was how he knew he was breathing too hard. The burns barely hurt anymore, but his mind was reeling still. Normally, he could shake just about anything, but Bucky had always been his weakness. As Bruce and Azari joined the doctor, Steve realized he’d missed his chance at an introduction to someone who clearly already knew him. He also realized there was nothing to distract him from wondering if he was actually, literally in love with the best friend he’d just watched evaporate into a pile of ash. Something in the back of his mind told him evaporation couldn’t result in ash, but he said a great big _fuck you_ to that something because he could be as wrong as he wanted in his own damn head- especially in this situation. Unfortunately, Loki was watching him thoughtfully and seemed to be talking to Natasha. Judging by the serious looks and low voices with which they were speaking in this ridiculously loud storm, they were talking about him. Steve wondered how Loki knew exactly which of his friends was the one who was probably the best to deal with something like this. 

As the conversation wrapped up, Nat turned to look at him and then looked away too quickly when she realized he was watching. So yeah, they were definitely talking about him. She turned back as if realizing her mistake and smiled at him as if nothing was wrong before approaching. Steve braced himself. He really hoped she wasn’t about to ask him anything too deep. 

“Hey,” she said with that small smile he was so used to seeing. “How did it go off world?” 

“I’m glad to be back on Earth, even if it ain’t Brooklyn,” Steve replied honestly. He’d give just about anything to go back eighty years when it was just him and Bucky in a run-down Brooklyn apartment with Steve drawing in the corner while Bucky bounced a ball against the wall. It was simple and happy and easy. 

“And how are you doing?” she asked, like they didn’t both know what Loki had told her. 

“I’ll bounce back,” Steve shrugged. He wasn’t lying, but he wasn’t sure if he was right or not. He might not manage it this time. This might finally be Too Much. “I always do.” Until he couldn’t. 

“Steve, I think we all know what Bucky means to you, and-“

“Nat, I don’t even know what Bucky means to me,” he said before he could stop himself. He sucked in a breath and held it in hopes that whatever emotion was rising in his chest would go away if he just stopped existing and functioning for a moment. He shook his head and looked away. He let it out, the air shaking in his exhale as he failed to steady himself. Why couldn’t he just push it back like he always did? “Nat, I can’t do this right now.” 

“Now is the perfect time, Steve,” she insisted. “The PHDs are working and the rest of us have nothing to fight. Talk to me.” 

“Nat, I can’t do this ever, alright? Not until he’s home safe.” 

“Steve… Maybe you should prepare yourself for the fact that he might-“

“Do not finish that sentence,” he warned her, his voice deadly. It felt like he was on the edge of a cliff and each word she said was a shove. 

“Steve, I’m not trying to hurt you. I want to help. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.” 

“Nat…”

She actually reached out and squeezed his arm, holding it captive and he realized he couldn’t pull away or walk away and wondered if part of him wanted to tell her. Wanted her opinion or for her to tell him that there was no way he was in love with someone who’d died in front of him twice. “You still have friends and we’re worried about you. I know none of us are to you what he was, but we do love you. We’re with you, ready or not, Cap.” 

He shook his head and took in a shuddering breath. “Nat, I’m really serious. You’re right. I’m not okay. If you push, I’m gonna break and none of us can afford that right now.” 

She squeezed his arm again, and it felt like she was moving closer even though nothing seemed to actually change about the space between them. “We can carry this, Steve. Let us help.” 

Finally, Steve managed to pull free. Part of him wanted to let her help, to ask if it was possible for him to have been in love with Bucky and not just whatever it meant to have him so deep in his soul that friend and brother weren’t strong enough words. But it wasn’t a big enough part of him, so he pushed everything down. “With all due respect, Nat, this is mine to carry and the entire universe is at stake. We need all hands.” 

She looked at him sadly. “Whatever you need, Steve,” she agreed, though it clearly went against what she seemed to think was best. “Just don’t do anything that can’t be undone, okay?” 

Steve grew quiet at that. So Loki had read him like a book and he’d told Nat exactly what was written. He didn’t answer. Couldn’t. Nat wasn’t someone Steve would even try to lie to, and if they couldn’t bring Bucky back… “I think I might’ve been in love with him,” he confessed quietly, searching her face for disgust or surprise or he didn’t even know what. 

“Yeah, I kinda thought that too,” she replied in just as soft a voice. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through, but I can guess, Steve.” 

He nodded numbly. “Thanks, Nat, just… I need to work. I need to fix this.” 

“Steve, not everything can be fixed. I just want to make sure, if we can’t get Bucky back-“

“We’re getting him back. There’s no other option.” 

“But if we can’t-“

“Then I’m gonna do exactly what you’re afraid of, okay? By rights, I shouldn’t even be here. This ain’t my time, everyone in my life is dead and I love you, Nat, I love the Avengers, but I can’t deal with this loss. Not again.” 

She seemed shocked at first that he admitted it, but her face became carefully schooled again. “Some might say you didn’t really deal with it the first time.” 

Steve sighed, trying not to think about it. He still had that nightmare every couple of months. “You deal with everything that’s ever hurt you?” he challenged. “No, but I also never crashed a plane into the Arctic with no escape plan,” she pointed out. 

“I did that to save lives,” he insisted, and it was true. Steve hadn’t been thinking of Bucky then. He’d been thinking of Peggy and the rest of the Commandos and everyone back home in Brooklyn. He’d been too busy to think of his own pain. 

She contemplated him for a moment before deciding not to argue, though he got the impression she didn’t believe him. “I guess we better make sure we bring him home then,” she remarked, her tone thoughtful as if she was doing calculations on his face. 

Steve gave a short nod before heading over to the PHDs, as she’d called them. He wasn’t going to be able to add anything or help, but at least it gave him an excuse to get away from Nat and her knowing looks and her attempts to reason him out of the utter despair that clung to him like a toxic mold. 

“How is it going?” he asked and Bruce was the one to answer him, even though it was only with a quick thumbs-up. The wind had picked up and the lighter members of their team were having trouble walking as the powerful winds almost knocked them over. Even Steve felt off balance, and he had plenty of muscle mass weighing him down. Bruce’s gaze moved past him and his eyes widened. Steve turned to see what Bruce was looking at and it was terrifying. A dark swirl had formed in the sky as if the atmosphere were circling its way down a drain in space. 

“Hey, guys!” Bruce called, his voice barely audible over the storm and the muffling factor of his kerchief. The other PHDs turned to look and suddenly they were all in motion. 

“The calculations are close enough!” Azari called out, and they all seemed to be in agreement as they set up equipment that Steve wasn’t even going to pretend to understand, rushing back and forth, adjusting angles before stepping back. Bruce tapped Steve’s arm and he realized he was being wordlessly told to move back. The wind (or whatever that drain in the sky was) pulled so hard that the Wakandan actually rose from the ground for a moment as if she’d jumped, and Selvig actually lost his balance and had to catch himself on the table they’d all been calculating over minutes ago. “Flip the switch!” shouted Azari, barely audible to Steve, let alone Selvig in the tent. 

Realizing the communication wasn’t going to work, Steve rushed for the older man, trying to mime a switch, and thankfully his gestures were understood. There weren’t many things that needed to happen right now, so it was a relief to know it was easy to eliminate whatever else he could have been meaning. 

Selvig pulled bodily at a lever which powered up the equipment the others had rushed to set up and Steve turned to watch as they all sparked to life and sent matching beams of light into the sky. Bucky would have loved this. It had _flying car_ and _Stark Expo_ written all over it even if it was neither of those things. 

Nervously, they all waited. The sky didn’t change, but the wind started to die down. He saw Bruce grab Nat’s hand as they all watched and finally, the sky started to change. The spiral began to grow smaller, like water disappearing down the drain, and the actual blue of the sky began to creep into its place until finally all that was left was a tiny pin prick. Steve looked to Azari and she smiled hesitantly at him. They’d won, at least this round. He smiled back, a genuine feeling of success warming him. At least something had gone right on this hellish excuse for a day. 

“If it’s alright, I’d like to keep this team here to monitor the situation,” the woman Steve still didn’t know said. “The singularity is functionally closed, but only as long as we can keep these machines running.” 

Steve nodded. “Can you get it closed all the way?” 

“Maybe,” she replied. “This isn’t my tech, so we’ve had to reverse engineer a lot of it… Scott would have been helpful.” 

“Scott?” Steve repeated. 

“Lang. Scott Lang,” she informed him before realizing. “I’m so sorry. I’m Hope, Scott’s partner. I can’t begin to tell you what I’m doing in New Mexico, but I guess it’s damn lucky I was.” 

Steve shook her hand gratefully. “Lucky indeed,” he agreed. “And very good to meet you, Hope. I’m Steve.” 

“Nice to meet you, Steve,” she replied as they ended the hand shake. He appreciated that she let him introduce himself even though she already knew who he was. “And thanks for bringing us some top notch brains for this think tank.” 

“Thanks for saving New Mexico.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also i was mildly drunk for 70% of this chapter, so if it's not noticeable, that's hilarious to me. Especially when i almost sent a message to a group that said "I'm writing wine and drinking fic."


End file.
